Siphon cleaner



March 26, 1946.

c. REYNOLDS 2,397,156,

SIPHON CLEANER Filed Sept. 21, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -March 26, 1946.

c. R YNoLbs 2,397,156

SIPHON CLEANER Filed Sept. 21, 1943 fig. 5.

2.; 26 J7 I 14 v 4 r I I 10m 16 I 16 INVENTOR C/arenceReyno/ds 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 26, 1946 U N 1 TE D STATES PAT'EN T OFFICE SIPHON CLEANER Clarence Reynolds, Louisville, Ky. Application September 21 1943,\Serial -No.503.,244

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for cleaning boxes.

The use of thermal siphons in locomotive fire boxes for the purpose of increasing the circulation of water and improving the thermaleificiency is now quite common. As usually constructed, a siphon comprises a flat box depending vertically from the crown sheet into the fire box, having a tube formed at the bottom thereof extending downwardly to the lower portion of the boiler, the rounded bottom or tube opening into the upper portion of the siphon on its upper side. Clean-out openings are provided for inserting cleaning devices into the tubular or trough-like bottom of the siphons but the devices used for this purpose heretofore have not been capable ofperform'ing the cleaning operation satisfactorily. While various forms of tube cleaners have been proposed heretofore, none of them, so far as I am aware, is capable of satisfactorily cleaning the tubular bottom trough of a siphon. This results principally from the fact that the tube or trough of the siphon is open at the top for the greater portion of its length so that, when it is attempted .to

use ordinary tube cleaners having cleaning elements which are independently movable radially,

the element which is opposite the open side of the siphon trough moves outwardly and on further rotation fouls against one side of the siphon.

I have invented a novel siphon cleaner by which I am enabled to clean the tubular bottom or trough of a siphon thoroughly and expeditiously. In a preferred embodiment, my invention comprises a central stud or stem having a plurality of pairs of arms and links pivoted thereon to each other, at least four in number. One arm of each pair has a cleaning element at the extreme end thereof in the form of a cutting wheel. The several pairs of arms and links are all tied together so that they move outwardly or inwardly simultaneously. One arm of each pair preferably comprises a flat bar while the link is of yoke shape. The yoke-shaped link is pivoted to the arm intermediate the ends of the latter and its :sides are spaced sufficiently to admit the cutting Wheel on the end of the flat bar arm when the armsand links are collapsed toward the centralstud or stem. The flat bar arms are preferably pivoted to a block secured to the stud while the yokeshaped links are pivoted to a block slidable there- A complete understanding of the invention, its novel features and advantages, may be had from the following detailed description which refers siphons such as are installed in locomotive fire Referring now .in detail to the drawings, the

siphon cleaner of my invention comprises .a central stud :or stem HI having a socket -II at one end thereof adapted to receive driving means suchwas the end of a flexible shaft .remote from the driving motor. The stud H1 is threaded adjacent to socket :III as at 42 and is thus adapted to receive :an internally threaded boss l3 projecting from a block 14. The block is thus fixed to the stud. The block has a plurality of longitudinal slots 15 extending therein'to from the end remote from the :boss l-3. These slots intersect the central bore through the block which accommodates the stud. The number of slots should :bezgreater than three. In the illustrated embodiment, I have shown :fourbutany number greater than-three may-be used.

Arms :l'6 extending .forwa'rdlyfrom the block M each have one end fitting into the slots 15 and pivoted therein on :a :pin ll. The arms it may conveniently be formed from flat bar stock. At the-rend thereof remotefrom the pin "I 1., each arm has a rounded, tangu'larly disposed portion provided with 'a pin 18 seated in a suitable :hole

drilled therein and secured .in place :byan anchor pin il 9. A cutting wheel 20 is :journaled on the pin 18 on each :ofthe *arms to rotate "about an :axis which extends in the 'sam'e general direction "as the :axis of rotation of the device :(but not necessarily exactly parallel therewith) so that the cutting wheel has rolling contact with the inner curved surface of a siphon when the device is rotated therein.

Yoke shaped arms 2 I having a general anpeara'nc'e similar to that of a wishbone :are pivoted to the links l6 intermediate the ends of the latter'byipins' 242. As clearly shown in the drawings, the links '21 have spaced sidesor legs 23 and 24 extending the greater portion of their length which embrace the :arms 1-6 and admit the cutting wheels 2-0 vjmirnaled thereon when the arms and links are collapsed towards the stud I20 as shown in Figure 2. :21 also have a portion 25 projecting from the end thereof remote'from that traversed by the pin 22 and are bowed outwardly adjacent such portion. The portions 25' of the links 2| enter slots 26 formed in a block 27 slidable on the distal end of stud l and having a hub '28 fitting the latter closely. The links 2i extend rearwardly from and are pivoted to the block 21 by screws 29 threaded thereinto. The number of the slots 26, of course, corresponds to the number of slots I so that each of thearms it will have a mating link 2i. Each pair. of arms and links [6 and 2| constitutes an arrangement similar to a toggle. As

without any interference resulting-from undue spreading of the arms as each arm passes the open top of the siphon tube. The device is simple and may be readily constructed so that it requires no maintenance in. service, is always ready for use, and requires no special skill for 1ts shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the links ZILIZimanipulation.

are suficiently bowed outwardly from the stud ,,Although I have illustrated and described but l0 adjacent the ends of the links which are con-"'15 a'preferred embodiment of the invention, it will nected to the sliding block 28 so ,that;;the oute r ;berecognized that changes in the details of the surfaces of such bowed portionsarejarther from a V e parting from the spirit of the invention or the 1 scope of the appended claims.

the stud than the cutting wheels when the device is collapsed. The nesting of the cutting wheelsZfi within the bifurcated links 21 reduces the diameter of the device to a minimum when the device is collapsed and also serves. to protect the cutting wheels from injury or from 'marring surfaces against which the device may cor'ne in contact when collapsed. Such protection is made particularly effective when the links 2| are bowed outwardly, as shown in Figure-2, so that they extend outwardly beyond the nested cutting wheels when the deviceis" collapsed. The cutting wheels are journaledon axes which are sufficiently inclined inwardly from the axes of their supporting arms so that the axes of=the cutting -'wheels are substantially parallel with the inner surface of the siphon when the device is expanded, as shown in Figure 1. The mounting of 7 the cutting wheels on their supporting arms, furthermore-is such that the outer surfaces of the arms are farther from the axis of the stud than "the cutting wheels when the device is collapsed, :thus'further protecting thecutting wheels when the device is collapsed.-

1 if It will Joe evident that when the stud I0 is :driven as by a flexible shaft previously referred -to; the arms I 6 and links 2:! will tend to move outwardly because ofcentrifugal force, to the ex- --t'ent permitted by thesurrounding structure. Outward inovementof the links, of course, is ac- V companied by sliding movement of .the block 21 toward the blockfll. Normally 'the block'2l lies forwardly of the cuttingiwheels .20. Inusing the of arms I6 and links 2|. areall tied together,

the cutting wheels '20 are; all maintained atthe :same distance from the. axisof the stud l0. As

a result, since there are always atleast three wheels engaging the inner surface of the siphon tube, :it. is impossiblefor the device to become bodily displaced and thepairs of pivoted arms and: links are therefore; prevented from; moving outwardly beyond the radius of the siphon tube whether the wheels are in contact with the interior thereof or are opposite the open top thereof Myinvntion thus constitutes an important improvement over tubei'cleaners as used hereto- .fore employing three sts"of*links and cutting wheels since it is possible, withtsuch dvice; for "the links and cutting wheels to move outwardly construction disclosed may be made without desiphons comprising a stud having means atbne end adapted to connect with a driveshaft, a

V blockfixed on said stud adjacent said: means "and having at least four" slots: spaced circumierentially of the stud'andfextending longitudi nally thereof, an arm "fitting in'each of said slots, pivoted to the block and extending for wardly therefrom, a cuttinglwheel onj the free 30 end of each arm journaledto rotateabout' an axis extending, inrthe same general direction as the axis of rotation'of. the device, a second block-slidably mounted on the .distal end of said stud and normally positioned forwardlyofithe cutting wheels, links pivotally connected to the second block, extending rearwardly therefrom and connected at their rear ends tothe arms at intermediate points thereof adjacent to the cutting wheels, the links having legs spaced apart to receivethe arms, said legs being spaced apart sufi'iciently to'nest .the cutting wheelsftherebe-- tween when the arms and links are collapsed toward the stud,ithereby reducing to a minimum :theoutside diameter of the deviceandprotecting the cutting wheels when the deviceiis collapsed. 7 2 A rotary device for cleaning locomotive siphons comprising a stud having means at one end adapted to connect with a driveshaft, a block fixed on said, stud'a'dj acent said means and having 1 at least four slots spaced circumferentially'ofthe stud and extending longitudinally thereof, an arm having a'flat end-fitting in each of said slots, pivoted to said block and extendingfor- '55' wardlyltherefrom, a cutting wheelon the free 7 end of each arm journaled to rotateabout an axis -extending in the same general direction as the axis of rotation 'of the device, the diameter-"of 'said' cutting wheel exceeding the thickness, of

g said arm, a. second 'block slidably mounted on the -:distal end 'of the s'tudiforwa'rdly of the cutting -whee1s and havingithe's'a'me number of slots circumferentially'of the stud as the first-mentioned H -block, and a wishbon'e shap'ed link for'eacharmes'having one end fitting intoone of theslots of the slidable block and pivoted thereto, 'afid'hav 'ing -a pair of legs extending rearwardly from the 'slidable block? and spaced apartto receive 'one of the arms therebetween; the' ends of .the'legs -being pivotedto the arms T intermediate their endsand adjacent'the cutting wheels, thefinter- V mediate portion of said legs being bowed outward- 1y to nes t said cutting wheels therebet weeriwhen by said cutting wheels being journaled on axes 10 suificiently inclined inwardly from the axes of their supporting arms so that the axes of the cutting wheels are substantially parallel with the inner face of the siphon when the device is expanded and in use and the outer surfaces of the arms are farther from the axis of the stud than the cutting wheels when the device is collapsed.

CLARENCE REYNOLDS. 

